Dog food question

Ok so I'm seeing all of you people with really big dogs purchasing the natural and holistic "healthier" dog foods that I don't necessarily believe in. Personally I feed my dogs a combination of purina and home added ingredients they may need for a while to target specific problems such as shedding. Anyway, I know that you are not supposed to purchase large bags of dog food unless you store them correctly so they don't go bad. We buy 40 pound bags, one for each dog as Pepper get senior food and Autumn gets weight loss, and they last maybe a month and a half each. We store them in our pantry which is cool and very dry and the bags are kept air tight. So my question, as I've only seen up to 10 pound bags of some of the foods you guys mention, is how often do you purchase dog food and what size bags do you get?

"There are two things which cannot be attacked in front: ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They can only be shaken by the simple development of the contrary qualities. They will not bear discussion."

we used to buy the 40lb. bag of Nutro, because
it was the best value and would last about a month
and a half... but we realized MAXIMUS was not as
eager to eat about halfway through the bag...have
you ever eaten crackers or cereal after it's been open
for a month? yuck!...now we buy the 20lb. bag...
anyway Pet Co. has, buy 10 get one free...and our
baby is happier...

Well, I buy dog food by the tonne, 2000 pounds at a time! 45 bags that weigh 44 pounds each. I store it in a shed. I buy a tonne twice a year. I feed Acana's working dog mix when they get kibble. My dogs get kibble more often in the summer and fall. They eat a lot of meat when they are working in the winter.

I'd be buying daily if I bought one bag at a time. I get two feedings out of one 44 pound bag!

If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you must find the courage to live it.
--John Irving

I buy the 37.5 lb bags of Royal Canin for both of mine. I think it lasts around 3 weeks or so for both dogs, I've never actually kept track of how long it takes them to go through a bag.

Also wanted to state that a lot of dog foods have "Natural" this and that in the name, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is really natural or holistic. The world "Natural" I imagine is a big selling point. The food I get is called "Natural Blend," but that is just the name of the formula. I don't consider any pre-made dogfood to be truly "natural."

You may have been referring to the raw diets some people feed, but I just wanted to slip my opinion in the "natural" food labels in as an aside.

K9Soul, don't mean to highjack the thread but could you tell me about your experiences with choosing/using Royal Canin? I noted in the other dog food thread that we recently switched our kitty to RC from Nutro Indoor, and she's doing well -- not sure if we should switch our pup from Nutro Puppy to the RC also...

I buy two 36 pound bags of California Natural Reduced Calorie Lamb and Rice/month. It lasts a little over a month for 4 Big dogs, all over 70 pounds. We store it in bins that are made to store dog food.

My dogs aren't "big" but we still get the largest bag (I'm not sure on weight.. probably slightly under 40 pounds). I store the kibble in airtight containers and leave it in the freezer. A big bag lasts a little over two months I think.

I, however, do believe in feeding the more natural stuff to my boys (human quality kibble and raw). Kaedyn going from acting like a senior to a youngster again is all the proof I need.

Originally posted by tricollie4me K9Soul, don't mean to highjack the thread but could you tell me about your experiences with choosing/using Royal Canin?

Sorry for the following long story, but I have to make everything a detailed essay

Tasha was originally on what my RB collie, Willie was on, which was Pro Plan (Turkey and Barley formula). When Will was older, he started having some major bowel and stomach upset suddenly to his dog foods, starting with Nutromax, and the vet told me it wasn't uncommon for some dogs to develop allergies or sensitivities to foods as they got older. I would move him to a different food, and after awhile he'd develop the same problems on that one. He had been on California Natural, Innova, and other high grade foods, I even tried raw, but eventually he got sick on them all. One day, on my own in the pet store looking at labels, I decided to try the Pro Plan Turkey and Barley formula because it looked very bland in ingredients. That was what he finally could tolerate without getting sick on.

When Tommy joined the family, and Willie passed a few months afterwards, I wanted to look for a food more appropriate for younger, higher energy dogs with more protein and less grains. I went to both PetCo and PetsMart, and Royal Canin Natural Blend was the only food in either store without grains as a main ingredient or a lot of corn, starchy products. They've been on it ever since and have done really well on it. It is actually also a reasonably priced food for its quality too. It is considered human grade, which means all the ingredients that go into it are fit for human consumption , so actual chicken meat goes in instead of beaks and ground up feathers or whatnot.

That's their main meal, but for treats I try to give them mostly natural things such as carrots, meat, (cooked) eggs, cheese etc. I told my vet this at our last appointment and he was pleased that they were getting high protein, low carb treats. (He's very anti-milkbone).

Anyway, sorry again for the essay. I somehow find it impossible to answer in few words .

We buy Kodie a 40lb? bag of Pedigree,that lasts more just over a month.then he gets canned,too.
Lucy is Pedigree Healthy Start,but were swtiching her after she gets spayed(which is next month! ),she also gets canned food.

I feed canidea platinum to my 2 dogs. A 35lb bag lasts about 3-4 weeks. That is a bit hard to find sometimes so sometimes I get the nutro natural choice for large breeds which comes in like 40 or 44 lb bags, that lasts about a week longer than the canidea.

Both dogs are large (68-85 lbs)

I store them in airtight containers and I have never had a dog get turn up their nose to it.